Miles Away
by Levii
Summary: Tatata...Mimi's abandoning her family and catching a plane to Japan for Christmas. But when time's almost up, she's still stuck in the air! Great way to spend a holiday ^^; Silliness and sap.


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Merry Christmas from Levii ^_^ Boredom stuck on Xmas eve, and I was feeling sort of lonely, so I figured I might try to turn out a spur of the moment Christmas fic. I took the image of Mimi on a plane, coming home to Japan for the holidays - alone, sans her family - to build off of…and well, see for yourself ^^ 

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Mimi Tachikawa let out a sigh and rested her head against the airplane window. It was already dark, and she could see the lights of Japan below, so far away. A million miles away. She had one Christmas wish this year. To spend the holidays - especially Christmas Eve - with her friends in Japan. She was dressed for the season, a plaid red and green skirt, tinsel wrapped boots and a caroling sweater. She had even donned holly barrettes for the occasion. Christmas in Japan, with all her friends. That was all she wanted.

And from the looks of the situation, it wasn't gonna happen.

Her last three Chrstmases were passed in the states. Her parents loved the holiday hype of course, the decorations, the gigantic tree - the sales. Mimi loved the sales too, 50%, 75% off signs always decorated malls and shopping centers. Prices so much cheaper than holiday shopping in Japan. But there was something about Japan that she honestly missed. And by now, 3 months after her 16th birthday, she had gotten up the courage to tell her parents.

"Mama, Papa," she had asked carefully. Had to be careful, "Do you think it would be possible to return to Japan for Christmas - just this once?"

They had stared. What do you want there? They had asked. Do you want to visit family? What family? Both her parents were only children. Mom's parents were in the states. Dad's were dead. What could you possibly want over there?

"To see my friends," she had admitted, "Please! I'm out of school for two whole weeks. We only have to stay a little while, I just want to spend Christmas there for once!"

What's so special about Christmas? They had asked. Mimi had, at the time, been sporting a red santa sweater and some reindeer slippers. Don't you like the holidays in the states better? There's just so much to do!

"Please?" she had begged again.

How about new years? They had said. They didn't understand the American tradition for THAT holiday anyway. Who wants to get drunk and watch FOOTBALL? And those cheeseballs? What was wrong with Americans? Mimi had bit her lip. She liked cheeseballs.

"What if," she had wagered, "What if you…let me go? You know, by myself"

That had stopped them short. She quickly explained that it was only one Christmas, and she KNEW it was a time for family, but how much this would MEAN to her. They had looked at eachother, then back at their daughter. Does it really mean that much to you? They had asked. 

Yes, she had said, yes it does. Mimi was their only daughter afterall. She always got her way in the end. So they had bought her some beautiful new luggage, and drove her the airport early Christmas eve. Crossing the dateline would make the difference, and she'd be there in time to see her friends. They gave her hugs, and an extra fruitcake, and saw her to the terminal. It didn't hit her until she stepped on the plane, that she would be spending Christmas without her family.

Mimi lifted her forhead from the window to check her watch.

"10:55, Christmas Eve," she announced to no one in particular. She had kept optimistic when she was let on the plane behind schedule. She had kept optimistic when the plane would not take off and a mechanic and another hour was required to set things right. She kad kept optimistic during the long layover on the west coast. But now, so close to her destination, she was losing that optimism.

"God, I hope we land soon," said the young woman beside her. She was wearing a business suit, "I hope that storm clears up soon. I'm sick of circling." Mimi nodded. It was probably the third thing the woman had said the whole trip. Mimi had kept her headphones on, and the other had been reviewing business papers. But now, she looked curiously at the woman, just as anxious as she was, to land.

"Seeing family?" she asked, although the woman looked quite American to her. She let out a laugh.

"I wish," she said, "Business trip. Infact, as soon as we land I'm catching the next plane to China."

"Rough," Mimi said, suddenly feeling very childish, "Can I ask your name?"

"Call me Kate," the woman said, awkwardly shaking hands with the smaller girl. Mimi noticed she had an engagement ring on the other hand.

"Tachikawa Mimi," Mimi said, "I mean um…call me Mimi."

"Alright, Mimi. So you say you're seeing family?"

"Actually…" she looked at her decorated boots, "No. I'm going back to see friends. Um…I'm not spending this Christmas with my family."

"You're not?" Kate raised an eyebrow. Her dark hair was swept up with a pin, and a piece fell down with the expression.

"I'm not even Christian!" Mimi blurted, then blushed as pink as her hair. What kind of justification was THAT, Tachikawa? She blushed a little deeper, then pretended to fix the tinsel on her boots. Kate just laughed.

"Well, you certainly look festive," she offered.

"Thanks," Mimi mumbled. Kate glanced to the window and her lips pressed tightly together. Mimi peered up from her shoes.

"Why are you working on Christmas?"

"I want to be home with my family," she said absently, "With my fiance. I really do. But I also need to keep this job," she offered a fake smile, "But hey, its only one Christmas, right?"

Mimi choked. That had been what she told her parents. But was it really only one Christmas? Even if she had 80 to look forward too, was this one not as important? She wanted to see her friends so bad she had completely forgotten about her…

"Family! My family!" she suddenly cried out, sitting straight up, "Oh my god, what am I doing?" Kate drew back, eyeing the teenager strangly.

"I should be home!" Mimi moaned, "I…I don't know what I was thinking. You're right, I should be with my family."

"I never said that!" Kate cut in quickly, struck by the sudden mood swing. Mimi curled up against the window.

"Oh I don't know what's wrong with me," she said, ripping a piece of tinself off her boots, "I wanted to spend the holidays with my friends in Japan. Especially Christmas Eve." She sniffed and wiped at her eyes, "And now I'm not even going to get that. I have to spend my holiday alone on an airplane. Thanks to some stupid storm."

"Hey," Kate said, reaching for her, "Its okay. I can gurantee we won't be up here all night. They may be slow but they're not that slow," Mimi didn't respond. She was looking out the window again, preoccupied with the fact that the ground was just so far away.

"Hey, here," Kate said again, "Here, use this." Mimi looked up, expecting a tissue or a hankerchief, but then realized her companion was holding the airplane phone.

"What's that for?" she asked. Kate tapped the mouthpiece.

"Call your family," she said, "Or your friends. You sound lonely. You need to talk to them. Here, you can use my credit card if you need to…"

"I have one," Mimi said, but took the phone. She sniffed again, then drew in a deep breath, "Thanks, I will."

The woman smiled warmly, tucking her own credit card back in her purse as Mimi dug for hers in her carryon, "I'm going to walk around the cabin," she said, "I've been sitting too long."

Mimi drew in another deep breath, before pushing the nessacary numbers on the blocky phone. She held it to her ear, as a familiar voice came on the other end, sending a warm feeling through her body.

"Mama?" she said, "Merry Christmas. No, I'm on an airplane. Delays, Mama. Don't worry. I just wanted to…" she paused, "I just wanted to tell you I love you. And that I wish I could be with you. Dad too. Tell him for me, okay?"

She sat like that for a while, the phone cradled against her ear as she watched the city below. Some of the lights were even green and red. She requested a full report on the Tachikawa holiday back home, which her mother readily gave. It made her smile, so she was surprised when she found that her cheeks were damp with tears again. She kept her voice steady until the end, shouting a final "I love you!" before hanging up. She hesitated a minute, playing with a frayed edge of her sweater. Then seized the phone again, and punched in a familiar number. The number of an old friend's cell.

"Hello?" came the response. The voice was crackled by static, and not very clear at all. But Mimi would always recognize it.

"Tai!" she shouted, into the reciever, "Tai! Its Mimi!"

There was a pause. Then,

"MIMI! Hey, you still in the air?" There were some background voices, and she heard Taichi announce to someone that it was indeed Mimi on the other end.

"Still in the air, delayed" she said miserably, then her tone changed, "You're…not still waiting in the airport are you?"

"Of course we are!"

"You're spending your Christmas Eve in an airport?" she asked, guilt tugging at her stomach.

"Hell yeah!" Taichi responsed, "We'll wait as long as it takes."

"We? Who else it there?"

"Um…Yamato, 'Kari, Takeru. As soon as you show up we're all hitting the party at Sora's. She lives closest to the airport."

"You're missing a PARTY for me?" she practiclly shrieked. There was some laughing at the other end.

"Its not big deal," Tai said, "So how you doing, girl? Want to talk to Matt?"

Mimi smiled into the reciever. "Sure, put him on."

"Yo, Mimi, you're making us late. Hey! Don't HIT me Tai, I was just kidding."

She laughed.

"No seriously, hurry up Mimi, we're getting lonely," Yamato continnued. She smiled again.

"I hope we're landing soon. God, I've been up here so long! I-" she flinched as a tone sounded in the cabin, "Hold on a sec." Another tone followed, and this time, it was a beautiful sound.

"Ladies and gentlemen," came an announcment over the loud speaker, "We apologize for the delay. We will begin landing sequence in 20 minutes. The seatbelt sign is on. Please relax, and have a merry christmas."

Mimi gawked.

"What? What was that?" Yamato was asked into the phone. She squealed.

"We're LANDING!" she said, "In just a little bit! I'll be down…lets see…20 minutes, prolly add another five…we'll be sitting a while…" she checked her watch, "Give me another 30, 45 minutes. I'll be down! I bought you all presents!"

"Right on," Yamato said. He was never one to get excited, Mimi thought. That blonde was too cool for his own good sometimes, "See you then, babe. I think we have a few more calls to make." Then he hung up. Mimi blinked. She was still staring dumbly at the reciever when Kate sat down beside her, buckling and tightening her seatbelt.

"Feel better?" she asked. Mimi hung the phone up slowly, then turned to grin at the other.

"Yes! Definitely!" she said, "We're landing!"

A smile crept on Kate's lips. "Excited, huh?"

"Yeah!" Mimi said, grinning at the other. Then her grin fell. She was getting her wish - spending Christmas Eve, or rather what was left of it, with her friends. But what about Kate? The woman had to spend the rest of the day on another plane. She wouldn't get to see a tree, she wouldn't get any presents, she wouldn't have any aspects of a tradition Christmas this year. Or would she? 

"Something wrong?" Kate asked, noting the change in expression. Mimi was immediately bent over, digging through her carryon madly. I know its in here somewhere, she thought to herself, then expressed a vocal "HAH!" as her seeking hands found it. She gripped its edged and pulled it out.

"This," she said, hefting the fruitcake, "Is for you, Kate. I really want you to have it. Look, here's a candy cane too."

The older woman was suddenly flustered. "Oh no, I can't!" she said, "Those are yours."

"Take them!" Mimi said, giving a kind smile, "Please." Kate said nothing. Then she slowly reached out to take the presents.

"Thank you," she said, running a finger over the wrapped fruitcake. She gave Mimi a joking glance, "I'm one of those weird people who actually likes fruitcake. Thanks."

Mimi beamed, "Merry Christmas," she said. Kate held the gifts to her chest.

"Merry Christmas," she responded. Mimi checked the window. The lights were getting closer.

As soon as they were safely on the ground, the fasten seatbelts sign turned off, Mimi was up and running. Pushing her way down the aisle and struggling with her bulky carryon. Everyone had SMALL gifts this year, and she was more than happy that she hadn't checked any baggage. It would only make her later. She ran through the gifts in her mind, as she ran through the terminal.

Custom guitar picks for Yamato, new watch for Taichi, earrings for Sora, computer games for Koushiro and Jyou, candy for the younger kids…

She ran down the escalater, not even thinking to catch her breath, and into the lobby. There were scads of people with cardboard signs.

"Miyamota Koji"

"Kondo Hiroshi"

"Lester"

She scanned the crowd for her friend, and when she spotted them, she wondered how she could have missed them. Taichi and Sora headed the group with grins a red banner clearly reading, "WE LOVE YOU MIMI!". Waitasec…Sora? When did she show up at the airport?

"HEY!" a voice called from the group. Daisuke? And Koushiro was with him! And…Mimi scanned the group…Everyone was there! Everyone! All her friends. Taichi ran up and scooped the gawking girl up in his arms.

"Welcome back, Mimi!" he shouted, over the noise of the lobby. She just stared. Yamato and Takeru came up next.

"Well, surprise! What do you think Mimi?" The younger blonde asked. Everyone moved up to surround her.

"I don't know what to say," she admitted. Yamato laughed.

"Say thanks!"

"Thanks!" she said, and begin a round of all-American bear hugs. For everyone. When she pulled away from the last one, being Jyou, the bespectacled teenager looked at his watch.

"Its 11:40," he said seriously. She blinked up at him.

"What does that mean?"

"It means," Taichi cut in, only to be interupted himself by Sora.

"That we only have 20 minutes of Christmas Eve left!" the other girl exclaimed, "Come on, Mimi, we better move if we want to get back to my house in time to party!"

"Definitely!" Mimi called, pumping a fist in the air and leading the group in a mad dash towards the door, "I have SO much to tell you guys…" She begin a story about her mother and sales clerk, but inside, she was smiling. Her bag was lighter without the fruitcake, and her mind was hopeful. There were still 20 minutes left.

~fin~


End file.
